mark 4 golf engine whine

[steveh2507]

recently my mark 4 1.6 has developed an engine whine which gets worse at higher rpm or when the steering is turned at slower speeds. I wanted to see if anyone had any ideas before i take it into a vw garage as their diagnostics don't come cheap!
cheers

[Eshrules]

any chance of a bit more info... what kind of 'whine' is it? does it sound like a binding of any kind? wher abouts is the noise coming from, does it only occur when the car is in motion or does it happen when the car is at a standstill? has anything recently been changed on the car, such as belts, brakes, tyres, etc etc?

[steveh2507]

the engine whine happens both whilst driving, getting worse as the revs pick up, but disappearing when the clutch is depressed and also when the steering is turned when the car is stationary. It happened a while ago and then stopped for a few weeks but has been getting progressively worse pver the last few weeks. It also happens when going round a sharp corner or a roundabout at any speed. I also have problems with the idle, it sort of dips below 5k rpm occaisionally and also fluctuates up and down when the car is stationary after a 10 min journey (sounds a bit like its panting!). If its something serious I might have to get shot of it, but its my first vw and i'd love to keep it a bit longer!
cheers

[steveh2507]

oh, the brake discs and pads were changed 8k miles ago and the cam belt and tensioners about 18k miles ago

[Eshrules]

the engine whine happens both whilst driving, getting worse as the revs pick up, but disappearing when the clutch is depressed and also when the steering is turned when the car is stationary. It happened a while ago and then stopped for a few weeks but has been getting progressively worse pver the last few weeks. It also happens when going round a sharp corner or a roundabout at any speed. I also have problems with the idle, it sort of dips below 5k rpm occaisionally and also fluctuates up and down when the car is stationary after a 10 min journey (sounds a bit like its panting!). If its something serious I might have to get shot of it, but its my first vw and i'd love to keep it a bit longer!
cheers

ok, first thing.

i dont think the whining and the rev problem are related. 2nd, if the sound is dissapearing when the clutch is depressed, im fairly sure it could be the clutch release bearing? might need a techie help on that one. the confusing part is where you say that it happens around corners and when turning the wheel when stationary, that would suggest something steering related, perhaps even a wheel bearing to me. if this is the first vw you have owned, some of the natural sounds of the car mat be unsettling to you, i would try to get hold of a friend with similar kind of car and have a drive, see how different it is to yours, compare engine noises etc etc and see if you can identify the specific settings under which the whine appears to be rearing its ugly head.

as for the rev problem, try and get it on vagcom, see if any fault codes have been logged which can point you in the right direction as far as the fault is concerned, depending on where you are based, i could do this for a liccle fee, call it a couple of beers or a tenner and ill have a look for you.

sorry if this has just confused you! would appreciate any techie input re the above. one thing i must say though, if you are intent on getting rid of the car because of a few faults, probably best to give up driving all together LOL

[RickT]

the engine whine happens both whilst driving, getting worse as the revs pick up, but disappearing when the clutch is depressed and also when the steering is turned when the car is stationary. It happened a while ago and then stopped for a few weeks but has been getting progressively worse pver the last few weeks. It also happens when going round a sharp corner or a roundabout at any speed. I also have problems with the idle, it sort of dips below 5k rpm occaisionally and also fluctuates up and down when the car is stationary after a 10 min journey (sounds a bit like its panting!). If its something serious I might have to get shot of it, but its my first vw and i'd love to keep it a bit longer!
cheers

This ones confused me......

one thing.. when you go around roundabouts... do you coast?? rather then leaving it in gear??

To start with i would of said the clutch release bearing... (the sounds a bit like "brr")

i good test to see if its the relase bearing is to go about 50MPH while slowing down drop from 4th to 3rd... and if you get a "BRR" its the release bearing.. do this without putting any gas on from 4th to 3rd..

In regards to it doing it around corners.... a wild guess but it could be due to a bit of flex in it maybe... however a long shot..

If its running rubish on idle it cold be a leaking hose which is casuing a problem and the auto choke coming in fighting to keep the revs up... best way to check a hoise id to lift the bonnect and listen for air escaping...
......... then it could be a coil pack.. Maf etc...

Just to make things a little cleary... could you repost with a brief description of each issue??

Cheers

RicKT

[steveh2507]

firstly, thanks for your help guys, i don't have a clue when it comes to engines, but i am learning!

Right, here goes...

The engine whine is a difficult sound to describe, its not a brr, but i really can't describe it! It happens all the time whilst driving unless i push down on the clutch at which point the sound goes completely and i can't hear it anymore. I can also hear it when the car is stationary, like when i start it to go to work in the morning. It gets louder as the engine gets louder and the revs increase and also when the power steering is used (i.e. parking, pulling out of junctions etc), this is what i was trying to explain about the roundabouts (not very well i guess! ha ha!)!
It just confuses me because it was never there before, or at least it wasn't something I'd noticed.

Thats the main problem really, I'll have a look under the bonnet with a mechanic (vauxhall) mate of mine at the weekend and see if I can get any more info. I'm guessing that its the sort of thing you have to hear in order to really know what I mean (especially with my descriptive skills!)! Also, I'll have a go at checking to see if its the release bearing the way RickT described and let you know the results tomorrow.

Once again, thanks guys, you've been a great help so far.

[RickT]

yeah let us know.... when its a noise itsa hard one.. i will get back to the drawing board and have a think!

RicKT

[steveh2507]

A quick update, tried the release bearing method you told me, it didn't make any brr sound, just a higher engine note and a load of the whine!
steve

[Rip]

Moght be on the wrong trck here but from what you describe it could be the power steering pump scavidgeing (spelling) fluid. ie needs more oil.
will sound like a whine, and you may even feel a vibration in the steering


Martin